VOTE: Is Kirk a Hall of Famer (assuming he maintains at least a .5950 win percentage)? He's currently at .6016 (has to go at least 6-7 next season)
- Thread starter Franisdaman
- Start date
In a world where he is the Big Ten's winningest coach, yes he is a lock to be in.
3rd best in the B1G.
Funny how this Gopher fan thinks Iowa fans are ever happy. Scott's right; fans are always OUTRAGED over something.
Funny how this Gopher fan thinks Iowa fans are ever happy. Scott's right; fans are always OUTRAGED over something.
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Here are where things stand at 1:45 pm CT on Nov 23, 2025 (day after beating Michigan State to improve to 7-4 on the season).
73.5% say Kirk belongs in the Hall of Fame.
73.5% say Kirk belongs in the Hall of Fame.
Assuming Kirk Ferentz maintains at least a .595 win percentage, is he a Hall of Famer?
YES, and I am NOT an Iowa fan
Votes: 1..........0.9%YES, and I am an Iowa fan
Votes: 77.....72.6%NO, and I am NOT an Iowa fan
Votes: 3..........2.8%NO, and I am an Iowa fan
Votes: 25.......23.6%
- Total voters:.....106
Don't see how they don't give a .1% leeway to the most winning coach in the biggest power conference.
Essentially locked in.
We either win against Nebraska and go to a decent bowl, and then it's 50/50 to win the bowl game; or we lose to Nebraska and go to a crap bowl, and then we are almost guaranteed to win.
It's going to be funny, and pathetic, when he's indicted and there are Iowa fans who don't think he deserves it.
Not a hall of fame worthy coach, but I definitely don’t think he should be indicted.
Should Kirk Ferentz be in the College HOF
If we want to determine if Kirk belongs in the College Coaches HOF I would look at past inductees. Here are some examples.
Frank Solich took over from Tom Osborn in 1998 after Nebraska had been National Champions 3 of the 4 prior years, including the year before he became head coach. He won 75.3% of his games at Nebraska and had success his first couple of years with Osborn’s recruits. He had 4 losses by 22 or more points in 2002 when he was 7-7, and 3 losses by 17 or more points in 2003 and was let go. He went to Ohio in 2005 and won 58.4% of his games in 16 years.
Dennis Erickson had success at Washington St his second year and was hired by Miami succeeding Jimmy Johnson where he won 87.5% of his games and 2 NC. Tried the NFL and took over an Oregon State team in 1999 that was 5-6 the year before. He won 64.6% of his games in 4 years. Returned to NFL and then went to Arizona State in 2007 taking over a 7-6 team. His first year was a success at 10-3 but then his next 4 years he never had a winning record. He won 50% of his games at ASU.
Mack Brown was at North Carolina and had success and was hired by Texas where he won 76.7% of his games and 1 NC. His last 4 years at Texas he was 18-17 in conference with a 5-7 season and 2 8-5 seasons and resigned. Years later in 2016 he went back to NC State in 2019 taking over a 2-9 team. His second stint at NC he was 44-33 or winning at 57.1%. His total 16 years at North Carolina his winning percent was 58.9%. I want to talk about the North Carolina strength of schedule his last 6 years where his SOS was 60.8. There is usually around 65 power 5 schools so this schedule is about as week as it gets. Iowa’s SOS over the same period is 32.8.
What does this tell me. Winning at schools with recruiting disadvantages is much more difficult than schools with recruiting advantages. Setting a minimum winning percentage of .595 seems to diminish coaches at schools with recruiting disadvantages.
The Big and SEC have much more difficult schedules than Big 12 and ACC and SEC plays 8 conference games.
Yes I think Kirk belongs in the HOF
If IOWA loses the next 2 games & finishes 7-6 Kirk is still above the .5950 threshold
Retardation from Covid vaccines?
(Insert smiley faces)
Seriously though, KF is absolutely a hall of famer.
(Insert smiley faces)
Seriously though, KF is absolutely a hall of famer.
If he continues coaching he could be under .5950. Next years schedule looks difficult Illinois, OSU, Michigan, Washington, Northwestern, Nebraska, ISU, are all bowl teams and Wisconsin seems to have found a pulse beating Washington and Illinois the last couple of weeks.
The NCAA rule a coach needs to have a 59.5% winning record seems too simplistic. I will look at two coaches I feel are above average coaches but at this time I am not sure either is a better coach that Kirk yet both qualify.
Matt Campbell was on staff at Toledo when they were 9-4 and took over the following 4 years and had a winning percentage of 70.0% at Toledo. Now at ISU he has a winning percentage of 56.3% His overall winning percentage is 60.2%. He has won at a 72% clip the last two years in a league that picked up 4 group of 5 teams and the leftovers of the Pac12 with Utah being the only good team.
Chris Klieman at Kansas State was at North Dakota State where they have won 18 NCs. He was on staff the three prior years when they won NCs and took over and had a winning percentage of 92.0% over 5 years. Now at Kansas State he is at 60.9% with an overall percentage of 72.6%. Again, he is in the watered down Big 12.
Does a coach with a winning percentage at Northwestern of 57% a better or worse coach that a coach at Notre Dame with a winning percentage of 67%. Yes the Notre Dame coach would likely be fired after a few seasons but I think you understand my point.
Matt Campbell was on staff at Toledo when they were 9-4 and took over the following 4 years and had a winning percentage of 70.0% at Toledo. Now at ISU he has a winning percentage of 56.3% His overall winning percentage is 60.2%. He has won at a 72% clip the last two years in a league that picked up 4 group of 5 teams and the leftovers of the Pac12 with Utah being the only good team.
Chris Klieman at Kansas State was at North Dakota State where they have won 18 NCs. He was on staff the three prior years when they won NCs and took over and had a winning percentage of 92.0% over 5 years. Now at Kansas State he is at 60.9% with an overall percentage of 72.6%. Again, he is in the watered down Big 12.
Does a coach with a winning percentage at Northwestern of 57% a better or worse coach that a coach at Notre Dame with a winning percentage of 67%. Yes the Notre Dame coach would likely be fired after a few seasons but I think you understand my point.
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Updated after the win vs Vanderbilt:
To be eligible for the College Football Hall of Fame, a head coach must have a winning percentage of at least .5950. This threshold was recently lowered from .6000 to accommodate coaches like Mike Leach, who had a career winning percentage of .5960. The National Football Foundation (NFF) made the change to the eligibility criteria for the 2027 ballot. Coaches must also have at least 10 years of head coaching experience and have coached at least 100 games.
Kirk Ferentz has been the head coach at 2 schools (for 374 games) and currently has a .6016 career head coach winning percentage. Kirk has to go at least 6-7 next season to keep above the new minimum career winning percentage threshold of .5950 (a 6-7 record next season would put him at 387 total games as a head coach and a record of 231-156 and .5968).
Kirk's current career record:
...........12-21 (.354)...........3 seasons at Maine..................(1990-1992)
213-128 (.625)........27th season at IOWA..............(1999-2025)
______________________________________________________
225-149 (.6016).........Career Record
=================================
Note the hole that Kirk had to dig out of after 6 seasons as a head coach:
...........12-21 (.354)...........3 seasons at Maine...... ........ ......(1990-1992)
...........11-24 (.314).. ......first 3 seasons at IOWA........(1999-2001)
_________________________________________________________
...........23-45 (.338).........Record after 6 years as a Head Coach
===================================
To be eligible for the College Football Hall of Fame, a head coach must have a winning percentage of at least .5950. This threshold was recently lowered from .6000 to accommodate coaches like Mike Leach, who had a career winning percentage of .5960. The National Football Foundation (NFF) made the change to the eligibility criteria for the 2027 ballot. Coaches must also have at least 10 years of head coaching experience and have coached at least 100 games.
Kirk Ferentz has been the head coach at 2 schools (for 374 games) and currently has a .6016 career head coach winning percentage. Kirk has to go at least 6-7 next season to keep above the new minimum career winning percentage threshold of .5950 (a 6-7 record next season would put him at 387 total games as a head coach and a record of 231-156 and .5968).
Kirk's current career record:
...........12-21 (.354)...........3 seasons at Maine..................(1990-1992)
213-128 (.625)........27th season at IOWA..............(1999-2025)
______________________________________________________
225-149 (.6016).........Career Record
=================================
Note the hole that Kirk had to dig out of after 6 seasons as a head coach:
...........12-21 (.354)...........3 seasons at Maine...... ........ ......(1990-1992)
...........11-24 (.314).. ......first 3 seasons at IOWA........(1999-2001)
_________________________________________________________
...........23-45 (.338).........Record after 6 years as a Head Coach
===================================
Here are where things looked after Iowa's (9-4) 34-27 win over #14 Vanderbilt; as you can see below, 73.2% said that he belongs in the Hall of Fame.
Assuming Kirk Ferentz maintains at least a .5950 win percentage, is he a Hall of Famer?
YES, and I am NOT an Iowa fan
Votes: 1...........................0.8%YES, and I am an Iowa fan
Votes: 89..................72.4%NO, and I am NOT an Iowa fan
Votes: 3...........................2.4%NO, and I am an Iowa fan
Votes: 30..................24.4%
- Total voters 123
I know some will argue, but I think the next couple of years will some of his best. He seems energized and locked in, and his team seems engaged, with really solid OLine recruiting and some promising looking young skill players.
It's great going into the off-season on a ranked, high note. And more shiny hardware for the complex is always welcome.
Kirk is a shoo-in for the Hall of Fame and Norvell is a great hire.